FreshBooks

A freelance client finishes a project, creates an invoice, sends it with a payment link, and logs their hours, all before lunch. FreshBooks handles that daily cycle of invoicing, expense tracking, time logging, and double-entry bookkeeping for freelancers, consultants, and small service-based businesses. Invoicing is where it shines: creating, sending, and chasing professional invoices with automated payment reminders and online payment acceptance. Project management sits alongside the core ledger for solo operators and small teams.

The platform is a better fit for your clients' businesses than for running your firm's own bookkeeping. Accountant access is included on Plus and above, so accountants can log in, pull reports, and reconcile on behalf of clients without a separate license. FreshBooks is not a practice management tool for accounting firms.

For accountants servicing freelance clients, the workflow is simple: the client handles invoicing and expenses inside FreshBooks, and the accountant logs in via shared access to reconcile and pull reports. That split keeps the client engaged without a second tool. Firms whose book is heavy on inventory or multi-entity structures will want to look at Xero or QuickBooks Online instead.

FreshBooks connects with Stripe, PayPal, HubSpot, Zapier, Gmail, Outlook, and more than 100 other apps through its App Store. Bank reconciliation is available on Plus and above. The vendor does not currently highlight AI-specific features; the platform focuses on keeping workflows simple.

Pricing starts at $23 per month for Lite (up to 5 billable clients). Plus is $43 per month and adds bank reconciliation and accountant access. Premium at $70 per month removes the client cap and adds accounts payable tools. FreshBooks offers a 30-day money-back guarantee; there is no free tier.